The interurban (or radial railway) is a type of electric railway, with streetcar-like light electric self-propelled railcars which run within and between cities or towns. They were prevalent in North America between 1900 and 1925 and were used primarily for passenger travel between cities and their surrounding suburban and rural communities. Limited examples existed in Europe and Asia. Interurban as a term encompassed the companies, their infrastructure, and the cars that ran on the rails.

George W. Hilton and John F. Due identified four characteristics of an interurban:

>Electric power for propulsion.
>Passenger service as the primary business.
>Equipment heavier and faster than urban streetcars.
>Operation on tracks in city streets, and in rural areas on roadside tracks or private right-of-way.